Club 80-90 Forums

This may soon be the end of the cold weather but today was the first time my engine wouldn't fire and bear in mind its got new everything on it on the recon 3000miles. Garage thinks its the cold fuel. I had no time or talent to sort it so I got in cab

They may be right so what do others do when this happens what tricks are there?

It might be cold fuel but mine started OK this morning and the temp under my van was reading under -7.

Hows your glow plugs? are they recent? are they getting voltage?

The other thing that ocurs to me is the condition of the fuel lines, I have at least one bit of dodgy stuff that I should be replacing, how are yours?

How do you know it was only -5? are you relying on the weather man or do you know it was as warm as -5 under your van? It could have been a lot colder and this could have caused a cold fuel problem.

Plugs new with recon. Fuel lines?? I couldnt say. Temp probably lower than -5 then. Back to my need for tips, what do you do when this happens or cant you do much at all. Can you add stuff to your fuel?

You can apparantly add unleaded to your diesel but I would be very very careful. Brickyard had some excellent diesel in the cold information including what to do to your diesel, he spent some considerable time in the cold with his. Have a look on his site.

There isn't much to go wrong; fuel, air, glow, compression - bang brum brum.

I had some problems with a damp airfilter (crispy air filter in the cold) and I'm not so sure that my cold start handle is working as well as it should (did you use your cold start handle?). There is a fuse you can check on the glow pugs when you get back to it if it's still not happy. Did the van go to bed wet? I have a recuring nightmare about my dodgy spongy rubber fuel lines getting damp, freezing and then failing but it hasn't happened yet. Possibly there are other parts that if wet, then icy would cause problems.

Why wouldn't it start?

Did you run the battery down trying?

If so it's either glowplugs (unless the garage has tested them) or your battery was weak - cold weather will flush out a battery that's on it's last legs, especially in a diesel.

It'd have to be a sight colder to freeze the fuel.

I didnt run down the battery out ( didnt have time) still has loads left. It didnt even fire once and the plugs are only 3000 miles usage. Ive got the garage out to check it over in case its more than fuel. yetsreday afternoon it was covered in snow which is still on the van this morning after at least -5 so the vans been standing in cold weather for a while. Anyway what temp does deisel freeze I hear mixed figures on this.

Diesel starts to wax at -10 but shouldnt cause problems till around -15 , you can prevent waxing by adding paraffin ,1litre per 10 of diesel

check the fuseable link under the glow plug relay in the elastic-trickery box in the engine bay, you shouldnt need cold starter in this country at all, if all glow plugs are working........
heating 3 or 4 times before cranking, and it should go even if one glow plug is duff,

Switching your headlights on for 1 min before trying to start warms the battery when temps are below freezing, sounds silly, but works.

10 out of 10 mocki !

The fusible link had broken and my garage found it and fixed it. I never would have on my own. Its stupid that the relay works and the glow plug light illuminates even though nothing gets to the plugs.